NYPD experts to examine bullet fired by Officer Peter Liang that killed Akai Gurley in Brooklyn stairwell
NYPD forensic experts are examining the 9-mm bullet taken from the body of Akai Gurley, the Brooklyn man fatally shot by a police officer, in an effort to shed more light on what happened at the Pink Houses in East New York, a law enforcement official said. Credit: Facebook
NYPD forensic experts are examining the 9-mm bullet taken from the body of Akai Gurley, the Brooklyn man fatally shot by a police officer, in an effort to shed more light on what happened at the Pink Houses in East New York last week, a law enforcement official said.
The bullet was turned over to the police lab late Monday after the city medical examiner's office completed the autopsy on Gurley, 28, and determined that he died of a single gunshot, the official said. The NYPD has said that shot was accidentally fired by Officer Peter Liang Thursday as he was about to enter a darkened stairwell.
The medical examiner ruled Gurley's death a homicide, meaning he lost his life because of the actions of another person.
After police examine the bullet, they will be able to determine if it ricocheted off the stairwell wall before fatally striking Gurley, the official said. News photographs showed a gouge mark on what appeared to be a relatively freshly painted stairwell wall. While the condition of the bullet doesn't change the fact that Gurley died, it may shed light on how Liang was holding his handgun at the instant the shot went off, the official said.
Liang, 25, is a probationary officer who has been on the force fewer than two years. He has been placed on modified assignment with no gun or shield. Liang has yet to be interviewed by police, but according to a source, had told others right after the incident that the shooting was accidental.
Officials said that Liang was holding the gun in his left hand and a flashlight in his right hand when he opened the stairwell door on the eighth floor during a vertical patrol at the high-crime public housing area. Gurley and his girlfriend were coming up from a lower floor when a single shot hit him, according to police. It was unclear how Liang opened the door with both his hands occupied.
Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson is investigating the shooting and Tuesday Police Commissioner William Bratton said the prosector will have to determine if any charges were warranted.
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
Visiting Christmasland in Deer Park ... LI Works: Model trains ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
Visiting Christmasland in Deer Park ... LI Works: Model trains ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
